Darren Sigal, MD

Darren Sigal, MD

Darren Sigal, MD, is a nationally recognized translational and clinical investigator and GI oncologist.  His clinical focus includes pancreatic cancer, colorectal cancer, and less common malignancies including cholangiocarcinoma and neuroendocrine tumors.

In addition to his clinical work, Dr. Sigal has led and contributed to numerous clinical trials focused on advancing treatment for gastrointestinal cancers. His research focuses on novel therapeutics, immune therapies, tumor microenvironment, and predictive biomarkers.  He is particularly passionate about translating emerging scientific discoveries into novel treatment options for patients facing difficult-to-treat cancers.

Dr. Sigal has over 50 peer-reviewed manuscripts that have been published in leading oncology journals, including Cancer Cell, Journal of Clinical Oncology, Nature Medicine, Lancet Oncology, and others.  He has been an early and key advisor to multiple biotechnology companies and served as the chair of the Scientific Advisory Board for Celularity.  In collaboration with scientific colleagues Dr. Sigal helped identify a potential new therapy for colon cancer.

He believes that the best treatment plans are built not only on the latest medical advances, but also on a deep understanding of each patient’s goals and well-being. His care philosophy centers on combining innovative science with compassionate, individualized care.

Dr. Sigal received his medical degree UCLA. He completed his residency in internal medicine at UC Davis and his hematology/oncology fellowship at Scripps Clinic. He is board certified in internal medicine and medical oncology.

In addition to his work with OSF, Dr. Sigal continues to serve as director of GI Oncology at Scripps Cancer Center/Scripps Clinic and the associate division head of hematology and oncology at Scripps Clinic in San Diego, where he leads multiple research programs.

 

Research Areas of Interest

  • Gastrointestinal cancers, including pancreatic, colorectal, liver, esophageal, and cholangiocarcinoma
  • The discovery and development of novel therapeutics

Education & Training

  • Scripps Clinic and Research Foundation: Fellowship, Hematology & Oncology
  • UC Davis Medical Center: Residency, Internal Medicine
  • David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA: Medical Education

Selected Publications

A Randomized Trial of Closed-Loop Insulin Delivery Postpartum in Type 1 Diabetes.

An observational study of hospitalized COVID-19 patients with cancer in San Diego county.

The role of Globo H and SSEA-4 in the development and progression of cancer, and their potential as therapeutic targets.

Checkpoint Inhibition in the Treatment of Unresectable, Advanced Lymphoepithelioma-like Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Non-invasive characterization of human bone marrow stimulation and reconstitution by cell-free messenger RNA sequencing.

Comprehensive genomic profiling identifies novel NTRK fusions in neuroendocrine tumors.

HALO 202: Randomized Phase II Study of PEGPH20 Plus Nab-Paclitaxel/Gemcitabine Versus Nab-Paclitaxel/Gemcitabine in Patients With Untreated, Metastatic Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma.

Targeting B lymphoma with nanoparticles bearing glycan ligands of CD22.

Development of cladribine at Scripps for hairy cell leukemia and current results.

Hairy cell leukemia: current therapies and future directions.

Beyond hairy cell: the activity of cladribine in other hematologic malignancies.

In vivo targeting of B-cell lymphoma with glycan ligands of CD22.

Very long-term eradication of minimal residual disease in patients with hairy cell leukemia after a single course of cladribine.

Cladribine in indolent non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

Down’s syndrome and Alzheimer’s disease.